SSG G-man

I am already not planning to renew! I have moved a few times due to getting separated and I can not find all my CEU stuff, plus right now having NR in front of the EMT does nothing for me.

I am an EMT in MD, but work in VA and our building (mostly military) has an inhouse medical response team in case of major event. Most of the members have Army Combat Lifesaver training, some just CPR/AED. I contacted VA to see if I could get my VA EMT, but I can not because I am not affiliated with an EMS agency in VA. That was the stuff I had hoped the NR would make easier.

So, I am going to continue to get my CEUs, but save the money and give up the NR.

Sarge

Well, if it is a CO issue, our ambulances have SCBA on them. (I think this was done because so many members are cross trained as EMT and FF.

Yes, MD State Patrol runs the medevac in the state. You have be a Trooper first to get in the program. The Medics still carry sidearms.

Not sure how hard it is to get into. I know several of them. Ex-girlfriend puts them down for only being paramedics. The last hospital she worked at had their helicopters staffed with nurses. (she was not one, but the guy before me was.)

Sarge

I did not want to bring up the multiple radios, but since someone else did first...

I wonder if he has a pager or 2 stuffed somewhere on his gear, 6 pairs of trauma sheers, including in his boot, light bars on his hummer......

Combat zone whacker!!

Just kidding Dust, having a little fun at your expense!!

Sarge

So what are the other 2 abbreviations?

Commitment

me!! (lol)

pirate

Also, you could see if you and your friend can hire the trainer and split the cost. Maybe you work with him 3 days this week and two next week. Just because you have different goals does not mean you can not work together. If you are adding strength, you will do fewer reps higher weight. You friend who wants to tone will do more reps and lower weight. Not a big deal. I have often had partners who had different goals, but we could still work together.

Sarge

Just a few thoughts from someone who has to stay in shape or loose their career!!!

The way I maintain working out on a regular basis is to have it as part of my schedule. I get up go to gym and then to work. Lucky I have a gym in the building where I work. Once you get the habit of going, you will feel guilty when you miss. I have done the buddy and alone work outs. There are pros and cons to both. I think it is a personal choice.

I hate to run also, but the Army says I have to be able to run 2 miles in a specific time. One way to break up running is to mix in other exercises. I often run in a urban area so what we do is run out half the distance we want to run and on the way back we add exercises. At each street we have to cross we will do an exercise, then do sprint to next intersection. Some times we will concentrate on abs and alternate different exercises at each corner, or it might be a push up day and we do X number of push ups at each corner.

Stretching is a must! Also, there are several books/magazines out there to help you with working out. Muscle and fitness is wonderful. Also, there are instructional videos/DVDS which will give you great guidance on technique.

Best of luck!!

Sarge

New level of training, requiring a degree. Not sure if Associates or bachelor. Call it Pre-Hospital Care Provider. PHCP. This would be at least Paramedic level. Maybe more so that the PHCP would have more latitude in field to be able to treat and release.

Get EMS out of fire is my other thought.

But what do I know, I am just a volunteer EMT-B.

Sarge

What if prehospital providers were a branch of nursing. There are CCNs, Trauma nurses, etc. What if we were all trained to that level? That would take EMS out of the FD. Maybe keep paramedics as drivers as EMT-Bs are now. Just a thought. Smack away...

Sarge

Well, I was nervous when I first got my EMT card in the mail!! I had been on many calls as an "observer" basically a gopher. But day after I got my card I slept in and got put on a mutual aid call to the next county over for a MVA car into a pole, possible entrapment. I was so nervous I could barely speak. Trying to get map taken care of and talk on the radio. We ended up getting cancelled because a closer unit was finally able to respond. I joke that someone could have offered me $100 to spit in their hand and I would not have been able to do it!!

But, as time moved on it got easier and I got better. I ended up as the stations EMS Rookie of the Year. I say this not to boast, but to show how I went from one extreme to the other. I did it and you can to! Just be confident and remember when you ar in charge you are in charge.

Sarge

Well I have seen pictures of ambulances that have extrication equipment on them! Start saving your nickles and dimes to get one of those!!!

I am member of Volunteer combination department. The FF handle the extrication. Our county will dispatch a rescue squad or rescue engine to all mva's. Many of our FF are also EMT-b's. They know what we want and need. Our leadership will not let the members ride the apparatus until they have been "cut loose" to ride. This requires passing some testing and a decision of some of the senior members.

At least I know the guys jumping off our squad know what the heck they are doing.

Thanks! I just thought I was losing my mind and having reading comprehension issues!! I know I lost some IQ points when I was an infantry guy, but I did not think it was that bad!!

Sarge

Right, but the the title of the thread also implies that he was claiming to be SF.

I agree the guy deserves a lot worse than he will get!! I have read the posted article twice and I can not find where he claims to have been in SF. Am I losing my reading comprehension skills?

You walk in and the previous crew is using almost the entire recent delivery of supplies to stock the box and they are replacing the on board O2 and all the portable O2 bottles on the box.

Where I am we carry alcohol wipes for checking BGL and some EMT-Bs in our county are approved to start IVs. I took the class room portion, but due to circumstances, did not get the requisite number of supervised field sticks in the allotted time period.

In MD the only drugs we can use as a Basic are O2, activated Charcoal, Assist with Epi, Assist with Nitro, Oral Glucose.

I am a little shaky. I have been off the box for three months due to an injury. I plan on a refresher before I get back on the box!! But I am off at least another three months!

Well, dust it was getting to be second nature. I separated from my wife last October and had been living at the station. From OCT to FEB I was averaging about 40 calls a month. That dropped a bit from March to May because I met someone. For the calendar year from 1 July 06 to 30 June 07 I ran 227 calls. How do I know the exact number? I was given an award at our banquet last weekend for the most EMS calls.

I probably would have had more, but our station added a paid ALS crew in late November, so there were calls I would have run before that I did not go on because the ALS crew took them. I did run some calls with the ALS crew, if there was no one to drive me as a BLS crew, or if there were enough folks around to staff the second unit.

Because of the injury I am not allowed to live in the station until I am cleared again, and I am now living about 40 miles from the station. (only about 10 minutes from where I work). This does not make hanging out there easy. I also have the girlfriend, seeing the kids, the Job, the attempts to make extra cash, and the Master Degree I will begin working on at the end of the month.

I still read several publications and try to keep up on things, I visit this and other websites to enhance my knowledge.

I just want to get back on the box with out feeling like I did on my first call as an EMT!!

SARGE

Well, EMT-B's here don't do IVs. I am worried about missing tings and forgetting steps. I plan on pulling out my EMT text book and protocols and study for a while before I get back in the box.

Sarge

I have not been able to run a call in about 3 months and it looks like another three months before I will be able to go back. I broke my arm in May and had to have some major surgery on it. I had thought I was going back soon, and was worried about getting back in the saddle. Now that my wait will be even longer, I am very worried about what will have happened to my skills by the time I get in the box again.

Has anyone ever gone through this? If so how did you handle going back? A few friends have said they think its like riding a bike, it will all come back to me. I am hoping that having done the basics the same way all the time it will be like my military training and will come back when I need it.

Thoughts? Thanks.

Sarge.

In MD We are taught Middle Bottom Top. Which worked for the straps and the KED as a whole. We had to at least clip the top strap before going on, but could come back and tighten it later.

SARGE

I am a volunteer, so we do not get "fitted" stuff. I have worn the jump suits, I like the fit and the pockets. They were very heavy and treated to for BSI purposes. We also have a two piece set that is pants and a jacket. They are are water and BBP resistent and very hot. Called "foul weather gear" by some at department. Both the uniforms have reflective striping on them. The foul weather stuff has more.

I guess since we are volunteer and only go out for calls, I do not mind the flight suit. I do agree that badges need to be done away with. Do not understand why FD has badges in the first place.

I do like the idea of hats. Some one said not ball cap style. Then what? The Bus Driver look? I have that with my Army Dress Blues and I do not think practical. BDU style hat in color to match uniform? May the cornered Marine style BDU cap?

Just my $.02

Sarge